- a means of passing from one place to another, as a road, highway, street or path: the Appian Way
- room or space for passing; free area; an opening, as in a crowd or traffic: clear a way for the ambulance
- a route or course that is or may be used to go from one place to another: often used in comb.: highway, railway, one-way street
- a specified route or direction: on the way to town
- a path in life; course or habits of life or conduct: to fall into evil ways
- a course of action; method or manner of doing something: do it this way
- a means to an end; method: a way to cut costs
- a usual or customary manner of living, acting, or being: the way of the world
- a characteristic manner of acting or doing: to learn the ways of other people
- manner or style: to have a pleasant way
- distance [a long way off]: in the U.S., ways is sometimes used informally or dialectally with the same meaning: just a little ways to go
- direction of movement or action: go this way; look this way
- respect; point; particular; feature: to be right in some ways
- what one desires; wish; will: to have or get one's own way
- relationship as to those taking part: used in hyphenated compounds: a four-way conversation
- Informal a (specified) state or condition: to be in a bad way
- Informal a district; locality; area: out our way
- Now Rare, Law right of way (sense )
- Mech. a surface or slide on which the carriage of a lathe, etc. moves along its bed
- Naut. movement, esp. forward movement, of a ship or boat through the water: often in the phrase have way on, to be moving through the water
- [pl.]Shipbuilding a framework on which a ship is built and down which it slides in being launched
Origin of way
Middle English from Old English weg, akin to German from Indo-European base an unverified form we?h-, to go from source Classical Latin vehere, to carry, ride, Classical Greek ochos, wagon- to a considerable extent or distance; far; well: this use, when modifying prepositions or adverbs indicating an actual or metaphorical distance or position, is still considered somewhat informal by some: way beyond, way in, way back
- Informal much; to a considerable degree: modifying words of comparison and the word too: way better, way more, way too slow
- Slang really, very, extremely, etc.: modifying adjectives: hip friends who are way cool
way Idioms
be on one's way
to start or resume one's journey
by the way
- incidentally
- on or beside the way
by way of
- passing through; through; via
- as a way, method, mode, or means of
come someone's way
- to come within someone's scope or range; come to someone
- Informal to turn out successfully for someonealso go someone's way
give way
- to withdraw; yield
- to break down; collapse
give way to
- to step aside for; yield to
- to give free expression to: to give way to tears
go all the way
- Informal to proceed or agree completely
- Slang to engage in sexual intercourse
go out of the way
to inconvenience oneself; do something that one would not ordinarily do, or that requires extra or deliberate effort or trouble
have a way with
to be skilled in or adept in the use of: a writer who has a way with words
have one's way with
- to engage in sexual intercourse with: often used to connote control over, or the surrender of, a partner
- to dominate; exercise power or mastery over
in the way
in such a position or of such a nature as to obstruct, hinder, impede, or prevent
in the way of
being as designated; constituting: we had very little in the way of food
lead the way
to be a guide or example
make one's way
- to advance or proceed
- to advance in life or succeed, as by one's own efforts
make way
- to make room; clear a passage
- to make progress
no way
- in no manner; by no means; not at all: no way am I going to the concert
- used to express emphatic refusal, surprise, disbelief, dismay, etc. [You were at the party too? No way!]: pronounced with a rising stress
on the way out
- becoming unfashionable, obsolescent, etc.
- dying
out of the way
- in a position so as not to hinder or interfere
- disposed of
- not on the right or usual route or course
- improper; wrong; amiss
- unusual; uncommon
parting of the ways
an ending of a relationship as because of a disagreement
see one's way clear
- to be willing (to do something)
- to find it convenient or possible
take one's way
Old Poet. to go on a journey; travel
the way
according to the way that; as: with things the way they are
under way
var. of underway
